Reality of war

Drama

Journey's End

Set in dugout (form) allowing an inside view of the horrors of wa. The fact it is set over a short piece of time demonstrates the daily trauma of waiting, dying etc Thoughts and feelings build up and then lots of events happen very quickly- that the reality of the character's situation.

"W3e must have pepper"- lack of supplies, a need to make the day to day life of war resemble normality. Mundane conversation higlights the rather un-glorious aspects of war.

Change in Raleigh's character- starts off excited, if a little nervous-surprised at how quiet the front line is, he was expecting something more exciting. When Osborne dies his character changes in a very small space of time- he walks slowly down the steps.

"It all seems a bit silly doesn't it"- war is not glorious, it doesn't make sense.

Accrington Pals

Ralph's letter demonstrates desperation- war has changed them. Different views of the reality of war presented-waste of life (Tom), secong flood (Arthur) etc

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Prose

Birdsong

Morphine tablets a necessity- when Douglas dies "we'll get you some morphine"

So many people have died and the war has destroyed the French and Belgian terrain "There's so much muscle and blood in the Earth" "They expect to die" - death is becomes the norm.

The men walk past a mass grave being dug before the battle- their grave.

Brennan finds his brother on a patrol to collect the dead bodies- he only finds a torso "his fingers vanishing into buttered green flesh"

Jack Firebrace's work is far from glamorous- in a tunnel, with air fed into it, constantly in danger.

When they bury Jack and Joseph Levi, it demonstrates that really they are not enemies. "They dug a grave for him and Jospeh Levi. They made it a joint grave, because the war was over"

The "boy" in the hospital anf Tipper represent the loss of youth, war is a waste of life.

Regeneration

The experience of the soldiers is so terrible that it affects them hugely, some for life.

e.g Burns is blown into a gas filled german corpse.

Sasson's declaration- the war has been fought for the wrong reasons, in reality it could have been avoided.

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Poetry

'Dulce Et Decorum Est'- Wilfred Owen

The old lie- it is good and glorious to fight and die, this is heavily contrasted in the poem- the death of the soldier is not glorious it is horrifying, dehumanising.

"Bent double" suggests war has not made their life worth while but stolen it from them.

Graphic description of death- this is no game, "drowning" "choking"- exposes the brutality and violence of war, often hidden by propoganda.

'Anthem for Doomed Youth'- Wilfred Owen

Title itself suggests the death of those who go to war is inevitable- this is the reality of war, people die.

"stuttering rifles' rapid rattle" everything is unsure in war.

'Exposure'- Wilfred Owen

"But nothing happens" - constant waiting

The soldiers are exposed to the weather, in terrible condiditons- the weather is the enemy.

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Poetry

'Strange Meeting'- Wilfred Owen

The structure of the poem moves from the battle field to Hell and in doing so demnstrates the reality of war, i.e they are very hard to distinguish.

"It seemed that out of battle I escaped" Hell is better than war.

'Glory of Women'

"Knitting socks to send your son his face trodden deeper in the mud"- contrasts reality of war and the views of those at home. The mother is trying to help her son who is past helping.